Since the beginning of 1994, there is an amateur radio station at the University of Turin with the international call IK1XHT, granted by the competent Ministry (in that period the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications).

An Amateur Radio Station (often defined as HAM) operates and works to realize what the current laws define as Amateur Radio i.e. an "educational service, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by Radio Amateurs: duly authorized persons, interested in amateur radio nonprofit". An amateur station is therefore the means (not the final goal) to carry out research and experiments in various fields of human knowledge, not only of a technical nature.

The first setting of an amateur radio station at the University of Turin was carried out at the late CLI (Centro Linguistico Interfacoltà), now CLIFU (Centro Linguistico Interfacoltà per le Facoltà Umanistiche), where, through radio contacts made possible by the equipment of the undersigned and using radios connected digitally, the first connections with other Universities in Europe who had set up an amateur radio station were made. The possibilities offered by this type of installation was immediately appreciated and used by the various language teachers, who made the radio station an educational tool, which led to the establishment of laboratories and specific thesis topic.

With the passage of the undersigned to CISI (Centro Interstrutture di Servizi Informatici e Telematici), the amateur radio station was moved to the sixth floor, a more suitable place, being closer to the antennas for shortwave and to the computer equipments available in the Centre; in those years thanks to amateur radio stations protocols, coding and decoding, languages, hardware and software were focused, which led to experiment and realize the transport of internet network via radio: we were the first University in Italy in doing this, in conjunction with the first tests that were successfully carried out in the United States and in the United Kingdom. For this purpose was developed the Radio Gateway Project, funded unfortunately with a too small budget, which from a substantive point of view cannot be said ended for continuous acquisitions in technical and scientific areas, both in the construction of radio transmitting equipment and in hardware – software implementation; this Project saw the amateurs always active in the research, experimentation and development of systems that are best suited to perform communication not as an end but as a means to give a specific purpose to amateur radio. To the Gateway Radio Project other amateurs took part for their specific areas of responsibility, mentioned in the annals of our university and the Web.

In the past the amateur station IK1XHT took part in the relief and coordinating activities following the earthquake / tsunami that hit South Asia in 2004; more recently took part in the IX Week of Science and Technological Culture and in the activities of II1TPG by TPRST (Torino Paralympic Radio Sport Team) during the Olympics and Paralympics in 2006. It currently works with leading national and international associations for technical and scientific testing of cable-mixed communications and is active with a semi-automatic UHF station where are tested and used digital communication TCP / IP and VoIP protocols. It has active partnerships with the CSP (Information and Communications Technologies) and the TOP-IX consortium (Torino Piemonte Internet eXchange) which guarantees the internet audio streaming spreading.

The amateur radio station IK1XHT is currently joined to the Department of Historical Studies and it is kept alive and functional by the undersigned who is the responsible by law. Will open outward to people, spreading the name of the Department of Historical Studies, in radio contacts performed with other amateurs, with other universities, other research centers; in the reports that will be prepared; in advertising, direct and indirect, which will be can do; in the information to be provided to the curious; in all explanations that will be given to those who will be contacted by radio. The role of the Department will be as gatherer of forces, knowledge, technologies, skills, which will be directed to spread a culture of scientific and technical areas related to humanities but not devoid of science, both in the approach that in the use, in form and in substance.

Angelo Brunero IK1QLD

QSL only direct with S.A.S.E. (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope, for Italy) or S.A.E. (Self Addressed Envelope) to this address: